Search Through Grants for Land Conservation in Connecticut in the U.S.

Connecticut's Healthy Forests Reserve Program

The Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) helps landowners restore, enhance and protect forestland resources on private and tribal lands through easements and financial assistance.

Through HRFP, landowners promote the recovery of endangered or threatened species, improve plant and animal biodiversity and enhance carbon sequestration.

Benefits

HFRP provides landowners with 10-year restoration agreements and 30-year or permanent easements for specific conservation actions. For acreage owned by an American Indian tribe, there is an additional enrollment option of a 30-year contract. Some landowners may avoid regulatory restrictions under the Endangered Species Act by restoring or improving habitat on their land for a specified period of time.

The objectives of HRFP are to:

• Promote the recovery of endangered and threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA);
• Improve plant and animal biodiversity; and
• Enhance carbon sequestration.

Mission

The DanPaul Foundation will use its resources to help train teachers and parents in early childhood development, protect children from abuse and neglect, stimulate children's personal social responsibilities, and offer them opportunities for enrichment and growth.

The Foundation will also encourage children to be concerned and informed about the environment and the underprivileged, particularly with regard to clean air and water, and adequate housing and nutrition for all.

Beliefs

The DanPaul Foundation believes that children should have ample opportunities for enrichment in their lives, and thus strives to provide many different ways to enrich and expand children's minds through direct programs and monetary support to organizations doing similar work.

We have provided or currently provide grants related to the following program areas:

• Workshops, Conferences, + Seminars: We strive to offer educational workshops, conferences, and seminars for parents and teachers on topics related to early childhood development.
• Student Scholarships: We aim to help students attending post-secondary education institutions by providing need-based and academic scholarships.
• Scientific Endeavors: We desire to advance scientific endeavors which seek to improve the quality of life for everyone in the world.
• Clean Air + Water: We hope to pass on knowledge and practical life skills to youth regarding their personal responsibility to the environment, teaching them about issues surrounding clean air and water.
• Child Advocacy: We believe in protecting children from abuse and neglect and particularly love to support programs that provide education and assistance to children as well as organizations advocating or caring for vulnerable children.
• Homelessness: We want to encourage young people to take a personal interest in seeing that adequate housing and proper nutrition, especially for the underprivileged and homeless, are available.
• Poverty + Neglect: We seek to help those in poverty as well as educate youth about their responsibility to consider the underprivileged and take care of those most in need of life's basic essentials like adequate housing and proper nutrition.
• Refugee Enrichment: We wish to help refugee youth by supporting programs that provide them enrichment and help them transition to life in a new country.

The DanPaul Foundation provides grants to 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organizations as defined by the IRS. The Foundation is interested in providing funding to programs that directly serve the health, education, development, and welfare of the world's youth.

Grants range from a few hundred dollars up to $15,000 per calendar year.

Background

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation seeks to dramatically improve the lives of underserved communities across the globe by supporting scalable, innovative, and impact-first solutions that leverage existing systems and stakeholders. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic products or services that have a proven ability to positively impact the lives of underserved people, and nurture those organizations at the early stages by providing capacity, capital, and community.

Our application process is designed to be open and accessible, and we accept applications year round from across our priority geographies and sectors. Borrowing from our venture capital legacy, we find exceptional entrepreneurs and provide them with: 

Capacity

• The core of DRK’s model is deep and extensive operational and technical support for each portfolio organization, both through dedicated hands-on Board service and specialist capacity-building resources for fundraising, board and organizational development, leadership, financial support, and scaling strategy,

Capital

• DRK provides up to $300,000 USD in either unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, and

Community

• DRK convenes our portfolio and alumni annually, facilitating connections and community. 

What We Fund

DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving the world’s biggest social and environmental problems using bold, scalable approaches.

What stage of growth does DRK Foundation typically fund?

Early stage: Organizations who are early stage, which we define as post-pilot and pre-scale. This typically means: 

• Your program, product or service is already being used in the market or in the field, 
• You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact on the beneficiary populations,
• Your organization is relatively young (ideally between two and five years old, although we will consider both younger and older organizations).

Venture funding: In the case of for profits, we typically support Seed to Series A organizations, and never lead rounds; we also generally but not exclusively refrain from participating in financings exceeding a $15M USD post-money valuation.  

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Social Service Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund direct-service organizations that tackle the roots of chronic poverty by applying effective solutions to the most challenging social and economic problems. The Foundations prioritize supporting programs that have proven successful in facilitating economic independence and in strengthening families. Preference is also given to programs with the potential to scale productive practices in order to reach more people in need.

Funding Priorities in Social Service

In the recent past, 15% of total funding has been allocated to Social Service. Organizations with budgets over $5 million have received 60% of funding in Social Service.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted for new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and general support

Funding

Minimum grant size is $100,000.

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation only accepts unsolicited proposals for specific areas within the education, family economic stability and childhood health sectors in select countries where we work, namely the United States, India and South Africa.

As a guideline, the foundation does not fund more than 25% of a project’s budget or more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has always recognized the power of providing grants to partner organizations that we knew were already working hard to improve the lives of urban children living in poverty. By aligning with organizations that are already making a difference, we continue to make an immediate impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Foundation priorities:

We fund social enterprises that directly serve or impact children or youth from urban low-income communities in the areas of education, health, and family economic stability (including livelihoods and financial inclusion). These social enterprises may be structured as for-profit or nonprofit entities.

Partnerships

We collaborate with a range of organizations focused on creating opportunities for children and families living in urban poverty, with a deep emphasis on measuring impact. Our funding advances projects already making an impact in education, health, and family economic stability. Through these enduring and long-standing partnerships, we create lasting change together.

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

Planning and Pre-Development Projects

Historic Designation Reports

Survey and Planning Grants can be used to fund a variety of historic designation reports, including:

• National Historic Landmark Nominations
• National Register of Historic Places Nominations
• Connecticut State Register of Historic Places Nominations
• Local Historic District or Properties Reports
• Archaeological Preserves

Municipal Historic Preservation Planning Reports

These reports can assist a municipality with integrating historic preservation and a community’s cultural resources into the local planning and design process.

Pre-Development Studies

Survey and Planning Grants can be used to hire a qualified consultant to complete pre-development studies on historic resources owned by Connecticut 501(c)3 or 501(c)13 nonprofits or municipalities, or if a municipality has a financial interest in the resource. Eligible activities in this program area include the following:

• Historic Structures Reports
• Feasibility or Adaptive Reuse Studies 
• Structural Soundness Studies
• Condition Assessment Reports
• Architectural Plans and Specifications

Eligible Activities

• Historic Resources Inventories

Historic Resources Inventories create a detailed record of historic buildings, sites, structures, and/or objects within a defined geographical area, or multiple resources related to a theme, throughout the state. These documents are based on archival research, field work, and photography. Historic Designation Reports are completed by an Architectural Historian or a Historian who meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards as published in the Code of Federal Regulations, 36 CFR Part 61.

• Archaeological Surveys and Reports

The principal objective of an archeological investigation is to identify potentially significant archeological deposits located in a certain area to guide future development projects. The consultant will perform background research to identify archeologically sensitive areas and to establish a context for any archeological resources that may be identified. The investigation will include a subsequent Phase I (reconnaissance) level archeological survey which will provide systematic coverage of the property to locate evidence of archaeological deposits. It is expected that the reconnaissance survey will not only determine the presence of archaeological deposits, such as artifacts, features, and/or structural remnants; but also determine the nature and extent of those deposits by performing shovel tests and excavations as part of the investigation. Intensive-level surveys are generally conducted in order to collect sufficient archaeological data to evaluate the National Register eligibility of an identified site.

Archeological surveys shall be conducted by a consultant, as approved by the SHPO, who meets the professional qualifications standards of the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, as stated in 36 CFR 61 Appendix A for Archeology. All work should be in compliance with our Environmental Review Primer for Connecticut’s Archaeological Resources. 

• Historic Designation Reports

Survey and Planning Grants can be used to fund a variety of historic designation reports including:

• National Historic Landmark Nominations
• National Register of Historic Places Nominations
• Connecticut State Register of Historic Places Nominations
• Local Historic District or Properties Reports
• Archaeological Preserves

Historic Designation Reports are completed by an Architectural Historian or a Historian who meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards as published in the Code of Federal Regulations, 36 CFR Part 61.

• Municipal Historic Preservation Planning Reports

Historic Preservation Planning Reports can assist a municipality with integrating historic preservation and a community’s cultural resources into the local planning and design process. These plans can be used to assist in developing reports that involve land use, streetscapes, traffic, and signage. These reports can also be developed to assist a municipality in creating historic preservation plans or chapters of a plan of conservation and development. An analysis of the physical, social, and economic characteristics of the area serves as a basis for recommendations which may include rehabilitation guidelines, overlay zoning, or historic designations. Municipal Historic Preservation Planning Reports should be completed by a Historic Preservation Planner with municipal planning credentials; however other consultants may be used with approval from SHPO. 

• Pre-Development Studies

Survey and Planning Grants can be used to hire a qualified consultant to complete pre-development studies on historic resources owned by Connecticut 501(c)3 or 501(c)13 nonprofits or municipalities, or if a municipality has a financial or development interest in the resource. A “Historic Resource” is defined as a property or site listed on the State or National Register of Historic Places. Reports and studies may require a team of qualified professionals that includes any combination of architect, engineer, architectural historian or landscape architect. 

Eligible activities in this program area include:

• Historic Structures Reports- document the history and existing physical condition of a property through research, photographs, physical exploration, etc. The report also provides guidance for the future use, repair,  Survey and Planning Grant Guidelines and Application Instructions maintenance, etc. of the property. These reports are completed by a 36 CFR Part 61 qualified Historical Architect or an engineer, or both.
• Historic Landscape Studies- Historic landscapes can be found in any rural, urban or suburban place. They can be designed or vernacular and include a variety of types including estates, farms, cemeteries, campuses, parks, parkways, conservation areas, or any site that reflects historic cultural activity (human interaction with the land). Eligible studies may include historic landscape inventories, cultural landscape reports, landscape management plans, view shed analyses, and documentations. Historic landscape studies are used to document an existing historic landscape to give us information about its significance and help to safeguard it from sometimes uninformed and irreversible changes. Funding will also support research to produce an historic landscape plan based on a previously existing historic landscape.
• Feasibility or Adaptive Reuse Studies- analyze the reuse potential of an existing building and identify possible new uses, financial strategies, and cost estimates. A feasibility or adaptive reuse study may include preliminary architectural plans completed by a 36 CFR Part 61 qualified Historical Architect.
• Structural Soundness Studies- assess a structure’s physical stability. Structural Soundness Studies are conducted by a 36 CFR Part 61-Qualified structural engineer or architect, and sometimes may include a landscape architect.
• Condition Assessment Reports- assess a resource’s current, existing conditions on a comprehensive basis. Condition assessments can be prepared for a variety of resources including buildings, monuments, objects, bridges, etc. A condition assessment will prioritize the work necessary to rehabilitate or restore a property and will also include cost estimates and/or a proposed budget. These reports include a discussion on building materials, failure of those materials, code violations, and ADA accessibility. For reports on buildings, the condition assessment should be prepared by a 36 CFR Part 61 qualified Historical Architect and/or engineer.
• Architectural Plans and Specifications-must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and be prepared by a 36 CFR Part 61 qualified Historical Architect. If the applicant is planning on using the plans and specifications for a Historic Restoration Fund grant application, the documents should be prepared to Design Development Level.

Funding

Grants range from $1,000 to $20,000. 

SHPO accepts applications on a rolling basis, and all complete applications will be reviewed and considered for funding. If your application is complete, it will be placed on the next available agenda of the Historic Preservation Council, which meets each month.

Helping Build Better Futures

Our mission is to deliver great value to our customers every day. For over four decades, our deep commitment to the principles of providing value and caring for others has helped define our culture. It extends beyond the walls of our stores, distribution centers, and offices, and into our local communities around the world. The intersection of these principles defines our global community mission:

Deliver great value to our communities by helping vulnerable families and children access the resources and opportunities they need to build a better future.

Our Social Impact Areas

We bring our community relations mission to life around the world by focusing our giving on four social impact areas where we believe we can have the most impact and are critical to helping families and children succeed and thrive.

Basic Needs

We are passionate about supporting nonprofit organizations that help fill critical basic needs such as a warm meal, clean clothing, and a safe place to sleep for vulnerable families.

Education & Training

Our efforts have focused on quality enrichment and extracurricular programs that provide skills, resources, and opportunities to support school and career success for children, teens, and young adults.

Patient Care & Research

We support organizations that deliver services to families and children facing health challenges and life-threatening illnesses.

Empowering Women

We support programs that provide services ranging from help for those fleeing domestic violence, to others that offer education, training, and job placement resources.

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

Mission

CLCC advocates for land conservation, stewardship and funding, and works to ensure the long-term strength and viability of the land conservation community in Connecticut.

Our Values

The Connecticut Land Conservation Council’s vision is to effect a verifiable and quantitative change in the social, political, and economic processes that conserve land. We believe in a future where land conservation is embraced as a community value that provides essential quality of life benefits to all people.

CLCC works with land trusts across the state to strengthen conservation efforts and provide equitable access to open space, and advocates for policies that support natural resources as a vital community asset. What distinguishes land trusts from other non-profits is the fact that they are created for the purpose of upholding their mission in perpetuity. CLCC makes sure that happens.

CLCC is committed to understanding and taking action alongside those we serve in addressing and promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice.

Transaction Assistance Grant Program

The Transaction Assistance Grant (TAG) Program seeks to accelerate the pace of land conservation by providing financial assistance to land trusts for transaction-related project costs. TAG responds to immediate conservation needs and is designed to get funding on the ground efficiently and effectively.

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation focused on making grants to support environmental, human services and other causes.

The Lawrence Foundation was established in mid-2000. We make both program and operating grants and do not have any geographical restrictions on our grants. Nonprofit organizations that qualify for public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or other similar organizations are eligible for grants from The Lawrence Foundation.  

Grant Amount and Types

Grants typically range between $5,000 - $10,000. In some limited cases we may make larger grants, but that is typically after we have gotten to know your organization over a period of time. We also generally don’t make multi-year grants, although we may fund the same organization on a year by year basis over a period of years.

General operating or program/project grant requests within our areas of interests are accepted. In general, regardless of whether a grant request is for general operating or program/project expenses, all of our grants will be issued as unrestricted grants.

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

About PCLB

The Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation (PCLB) was formed in 1999, by Dr. Peter Buck and his wife Carmen Lucia as a private family foundation to manage their family’s philanthropy in a thoughtful and strategic manner.

PCLB’s work is anchored by its mission statement, “giving motivated people the tools they need to help themselves.” These tools are about more than grants and include guidance, connections, convening, information, and other forms of assistance that the foundation and its grantees can provide. PCLB looks to support the highest‐quality organizations that show initiative, leadership, and innovation in solving issues that are meaningful to the family and the communities where family members live.

Program Areas

PCLB makes grants in five program areas:

• Education
• Outdoors
• Science
• Medicine
• Family Projects

Our choice of work in these program areas is guided by a desire for strategic and systemic change, by our founders’ intent, by our Board members’ interests, and by our staff’s expertise.

Within these program areas, we seek to support the highest-quality, most effective organizations that align with our broad mission of giving motivated people the tools they need to help themselves and that align with our more specific program area goals. Broadly, we provide the following types of financial support:

• General Operating: PCLB prefers to make general operating grants, to give our grantees the greatest ability to do the work they know is most important to meet our shared goals. Generally, we have general operating relationships with organizations that last for an extended period, recognizing that many of the issues on which we work take time to address.
• Restricted Support: PCLB also makes restricted grants, often to focus on areas of particular geographic interest or to support a specific department or area of work within an organization that has a broad scope.
• Big Bets: Philanthropy is uniquely positioned to take risks and try big things. In this spirit, PCLB makes a limited number of grants to fund especially large, time-limited projects that have the potential to change narratives around and trajectories of grantees’ work.
• Program-Related Investments: PCLB makes Program-Related Investments (PRIs) in the form of low-interest loans. PRIs are offered to current PCLB grantees to complete land conservation projects and to meet the facility needs of charter schools. Loans are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, within guidelines established by the Foundation.

The Peter Grayson Letz Fund for Animals and the Environment was established in 2014 to benefit domestic animals and wildlife, as well as environmental education and conservation in New London County through grants to nonprofit organizations. The Josephine and Gabriel Sacco Fund for Animals supports organizations that provide for the care and comfort of animals in the Town of Groton. Additional funding through the P.A.W. (People for Animals & Wildlife) Fund, and the Jacqueline and Marc Chadourne Fund supports animal welfare priorities in New London County, Connecticut.

Areas of Interest

Preserve the Environment

• Foster understanding of and promote action on the relationship between the health of the natural world and the health and well-being of our residents. 
• Priority given to programs that: 
• Preserve and protect environmentally significant land, waterways and wildlife habitats for the benefit of the ecosystem and for the well-being, health, livelihood and enjoyment of residents
• Engage youth in environmental education and activities in natural settings as they learn to become good stewards of their environment.
• Make the connection between mental and physical health and exposure to the natural world.
• Focus on environmental justice: the fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens and meaningful participation of all communities in environmental decision-making.
• Grants between $10,000 and $50,000.

Advance Animal Welfare

• Ensure adequate protection, care and humane treatment of animals and wildlife. 
• Priority given to programs that:
• Provide assistance for veterinary care for domestic animals and/or wildlife, especially spay and neuter services.
• Encourage responsible pet ownership and adoptions of abandoned animals.
• Rehabilitate wildlife for return to natural habitats.
• Make positive connections between humans and animals (i.e. therapeutic riding programs, canine literacy buddies, inmate rehabilitation, etc.).
• Grants between $5,000 and $35,000.

Grants will be awarded for new initiatives, special projects or existing programs that address one or more of the purposes listed above.

About the Fund

The Quinnipiac River Fund was established in 1990 as part of a court settlement between the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Upjohn Company, concerning wastewater discharges from the Upjohn Company's plant in North Haven. Each year the Fund distributes more than $100,000 to organizations that work toward improving the environmental quality of the Quinnipiac River, New Haven Harbor and the surrounding watersheds.

Quinnipiac River Fund Grants

The mission of the Quinnipiac River Fund is to improve the environmental quality of the Quinnipiac River and New Haven Harbor and their watersheds. The committee considers projects for grant funding that work toward this goal.

Examples include:

• Studying the pollution of the waterbodies.
• Studying the ecology of the waterbodies.
• Researching methods of reducing pollution, or otherwise improving the environmental health of the waterbodies.
• Addressing means of reducing both non-point and point sources of pollution to the waterbodies.
• Researching the permitting process, researching particular permits, and making recommendations as to findings.
• Providing public education about the waterbodies.
• Purchasing land in the watersheds for conservation, pollution reduction, and/or improving public access.
• Environmental advocacy (note: funding cannot be used for litigation).
• Habitat restoration.

Overview

The Long Island Sound Stewardship Fund (LISSF) is a competitive grant program seeking proposals to restore and protect the health and living resources of Long Island Sound. We are interested in empowering communities of all kinds (including communities typically underrepresented in environmental programs and projects) to access, improve and benefit from Long Island Sound, its waterways, and surrounding lands. Up to $400,000 is expected to be available for grants in 2025. The most competitive proposals will incorporate multiple values including sustainability, resilience, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

The LISSF aims to:

• support non-profit 501(c)(3) public charities working on issues and projects that address the strategies and Implementation Actions of the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) and support communities and organizations in advancing environmental justice and diversity, equity and inclusion. 

The Long Island Sound Funders Collaborative

The Long Island Sound Funders Collaborative (the Collaborative) is a group of funders with missions that include clean waters, thriving habitats, and sustainable communities in the Long Island Sound region. While most of the funders are not solely focused on this goal, we aim to build our effectiveness through collaboration. Since its inception, the Collaborative has worked together to learn about the myriad issues facing the Sound and possible solutions.

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.

Our Mission

To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund

To make the highest possible impact on the climate and biodiversity crises, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is committed to advancing solutions and supporting partners throughout the Appalachians to connect and conserve vital wildlife habitat, build resilience to the impacts of climate change, and generate new job and recreation opportunities for communities.

Approximately one-third of the U.S. population lives in or within 100 miles of the Appalachians, including an estimated 36 million people that rely on the region for sources of drinking water. The landscape contains the world's largest remaining expanses of temperate broadleaf mixed forest and provides habitat to a wide diversity of plants of animals, many of which are listed as rare, threatened, or endangered. Conserving this landscape is critical for nature and for the people that live and work there.

However as climate change drives ecosystem instability, plants and animals are shifting their ranges northward, and people are having to find ways to adapt to complex and intertwined challenges. TNC and many others have been working to conserve vital Appalachian habitats for decades. Now we must ramp up our efforts and coordinate with partners across the Appalachians for maximum impact.

To succeed in these efforts, TNC’s Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund offers two grant programs for conservation and community organizations, municipalities, Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, and local and state agencies in the Appalachians who are working to protect and conserve this region:

• The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program
• The New York Climate Resilience Grant Program

Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program

The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program provides grants of up to $100,000 for fee and easement acquisition projects throughout the Appalachians.

Equitable Conservation and Community Benefits

Conservation organizations are increasingly acknowledging the importance of incorporating social equity in their missions, partnerships, and projects and evolving how they work to have better outcomes for people and nature.

TNC defines community benefits as the positive outcomes that directly result from or are included within conservation projects as experienced by local communities and people. This is particularly important for historically marginalized communities, communities with limited access to nature, communities experiencing heightened impacts of climate change due to systemic underinvestment and poor infrastructure, and Indigenous communities. 

RCA program funding will support projects that demonstrate meaningful community engagement, work with those historically excluded from conservation, and lead to a fairer distribution of benefits for people and communities.

Some examples of community benefits include improved and greater access to nature, protection of drinking water sources, recreational and resource-based economic opportunities, flood mitigation, engagement in cross-cultural initiatives, or protection of lands that will meet community-defined conservation needs. We encourage projects with meaningful community benefits that are integrated with the land protection goals.

Project Evaluation

Projects will be evaluated  according to their capacity to deliver land protection outcomes aligned with the program goals, including:

• Location:
  • the project is located within TNC’s Appalachians Program boundary and is in or near a mapped focal area.  Projects outside of focal areas will also be considered.
• Resilience:
  • the percentage of the total project area that is part of the Resilient and Connected Network.
• Connectivity:
  • adjacency to protected lands or other attributes that will lead to landscape connectivity over time (e.g., the project is a necessary acquisition for advancing a local or regional plan that aims to protect a critical conservation corridor).
• Collaboration:
  • evidence of engagement with other organizations, community groups, or local governments (including, but not limited to, shared funding).
• Community:
  • project elements that directly engage and or benefit people, especially vulnerable or marginalized communities.
• Timeline:
  • the project will close within 12 months from the start of the grant agreement term.
• Feasibility:
  • likelihood that the project will close and the costs seem reasonable.

Background

As of November 7, 2024, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is accepting proposals for the Federal Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Clean Water Act Section 319 Nonpoint Source (NPS) Grant Program. Section 319 of the Federal Clean Water Act is a grant program to address NPS water pollution. DEEP receives these funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that can be passed onto municipalities, communities, local conservation groups, and many other organizations for NPS implementation projects, plans, and statewide NPS management efforts within Connecticut. Proposals may be submitted by any interested public or private organization (award recipients must be registered with the CT Secretary of State).

EPA defines NPS pollution as pollution that is “caused by diffuse sources that are not regulated as point sources and are normally associated with land use and runoff from the land.” Common NPS pollutants include: bacteria, nutrients, sediment, salt, petroleum products, heavy metals, pesticides, and debris. These pollutants are typically carried by stormwater runoff into streams, lakes, and estuaries from diffuse land use and other activities that are not regulated as point source discharges (“end of pipe”). Projects intended to meet mandated requirements of stormwater permits are not eligible for Section 319 grants. However, proposals that provide stormwater mitigation above and beyond permit requirements may be considered.

Demonstrating match from non-federal sources is an important component for the Section 319 NPS Grant program and EPA requires a 40% match for each award. Applicants should demonstrate a goal of 40% match from non-federal sources in their application.

Project Priorities for FY25

Environmental Justice and Environmental Equity

The Section 319 NPS Grant program is committed to DEEP’s NPS efforts and awareness of NPS environmental problems in environmental justice communities. In Connecticut, an environmental justice community is defined as a census block group with 30% or more of a low-income population OR a distressed municipality (https://cga.ct.gov/). Additional information can be found on DEEP’s website for Environmental Justice AND the federal census website. 

Applications for proposed work within a designated environmental justice community or which will have direct benefits to an environmental justice community will be considered a priority during the competitive review process. Applicants can determine where the environmental justice communities are in Connecticut by viewing the map.

Applicants should use the map to identify percentages for minority, poverty level and/or limited English proficiency within the environmental justice community.

Watershed Fund

The Watershed Fund partners with local land trusts, municipalities, state agencies and others to protect threatened watershed lands. It is proud of its efforts to protect water quality while adding value to a community’s quality of life by protecting open spaces.

Purpose of Grants - Land Acquisition

• To award grants for the acquisition of title, conservation easements, and/or development rights to watershed land for the purpose of protecting, preserving, and enhancing water quality now and for future generations throughout the region.
• To award grants to organizations providing education in the appreciation of and preservation of our environment, with particular emphasis on the understanding of our water resources, the negative impacts of development and other activities on water quality, and the benefits to water quality and the environment of preserving watershed land as open space.

The Claire C. Bennitt Watershed Fund, Inc. partners with local land trusts, municipalities, state agencies and others to protect threatened watershed lands. It is proud of its efforts to protect water quality while adding value to a community’s quality of life by protecting open spaces.

Purpose of Grants

• To award grants for the acquisition of title, conservation easements, and/or development rights to watershed land for the purpose of protecting, preserving, and enhancing water quality now and for future generations throughout the region.
• To award grants to organizations providing education in the appreciation of and preservation of our environment, with particular emphasis on the understanding of our water resources, the negative impacts of development and other activities on water quality, and the benefits to water quality and the environment of preserving watershed land as open space.

Funding

Such grants typically do not exceed $10,000.

NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants

Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) is a competitive program that supports the development of new tools, approaches, practices, and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands. Through creative problem solving and innovation, CIG partners work to address our nation's water quality, air quality, soil health and wildlife habitat challenges, all while improving agricultural operations.

There are three annual Conservation Innovation Grants funding opportunities:

National CIG Classic

National competition for projects that support the early-stage development and piloting of new tools, practices and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands.

State CIG Classic

State-level competitions for projects that support early-stage development and piloting of new tools, practices and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands. While the overall goal and approach match those of CIG Classic, CIG state competitions fund projects that target state-identified conservation priorities. Each year, NRCS state offices may elect to administer their own CIG competitions. State CIG competitions are announced separately from national competitions.

CIG On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials (On-Farm Trials)

National competition for projects that support more widespread adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation approaches in partnership with agricultural producers. On-Farm Trials Awardees provide technical assistance and incentive payments to producers to help compensate for risks associated with implementation of new conservation practices, systems and approaches. Awardees also evaluate the environmental, financial and social (to the extent possible) impacts of implementing innovative approaches. The Soil Health Demo Trial is a priority within the On-Farm Trials competition which focuses exclusively on implementation of conservation practices and systems that improve soil health.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection partners with the US Forest Service to implement the Connecticut Forest Legacy Program (FLP). The FLP helps to identify and conserve environmentally important forests. The program protects working forests, those forests that protect water quality and provide habitat, forest products, opportunities for recreation and other public benefits.

The program encourages and supports acquisition of conservation easements. Conservation easements are legally binding agreements transferring a negotiated set of property rights from one party to another, without transferring property ownership. Most FLP conservation easements restrict development, require sustainable forestry practices, and protect various environmental values. There are also limited instances under the program where properties are purchased outright for their conservation values. 

In Connecticut, the Forest Legacy Program is jointly run by the Division of Forestry and the Land Acquisition and Management Division within the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The Forest Legacy Program Coordinator's position resides in the Division of Forestry.

1. Introduction

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is dedicated to conserving, improving, and protecting our natural resources and the environment, and increasing the availability of affordable, cleaner, and more reliable energy. DEEP’s Urban and Community Forestry Program achieves these goals by supporting healthy urban forests that provide multiple benefits to residents of Connecticut. Urban forests reduce elevated urban temperatures, mitigate air pollution, contribute to stormwater management and filtration, and provide multiple health benefits for residents. These collective impacts provide economic benefits by reducing energy and healthcare costs. Urban trees have also been found to boost local businesses and support economic development. Finally, trees contribute to livable communities and support community cohesion, hence the name of this grant, “Trees for Communities.”

Through financial support provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, DEEP’s Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Program requests proposals for the Trees for Communities Grant Program. Awards are for up to $200,000; no match is required. 

2. Goals of the Program

The Trees for Communities Grant Program addresses the uneven distribution of tree canopy across Connecticut by providing financial support for urban forestry projects in communities of need. Projects must increase tree cover or contribute to other urban forestry objectives such as improvement of forest health or utilization of urban wood. Projects must be rooted in community support and demonstrate efforts to meaningfully incorporate community needs into the project design. 

Trees for Communities Grant Program

The Trees for Communities Grant Program addresses the uneven distribution of tree canopy across Connecticut by providing financial support for urban forestry projects in communities of need. Projects must increase tree cover or contribute to other urban forestry objectives such as improvement of forest health or utilization of urban wood. Projects must be rooted in community support and demonstrate efforts to meaningfully incorporate community needs into project design.

The Trees for Communities Grant Program supports a variety of urban and community forestry projects including but not limited to:

• Tree planting on private lands with permission of landowner
• Engaging groups in urban forest planning and planting 
• Work force development 
• Invasive species management 
• Urban wood utilization
• Impervious surface removal to create space for tree planting 

Projects must demonstrate direct benefit to communities indicated in DEEP’s Urban Forestry Grant Screening Tool.

Purpose of Grants

Made possible through the Southbury Community Trust Fund, grants provide support for a variety of programs that benefit Southbury residents. Priority is given to proposals that demonstrate collaboration and strong partnerships.

Possible Projects

• Social and Community Services: Support Southbury residents by providing access to basic needs, transportation, and affordable housing.
• Wellness and Health Education: Promote a healthy, vibrant community by encouraging access to prevention programs, fitness, and access to care for all ages.
• Enhancement of Youth Development: Foster positive identity, strong values, social competencies, commitment to learning, community service, empowerment, leadership, and resilience for Southbury youth.
• Aging and Livable Communities: Develop and promote programs that enable older adults to age in place successfully. May include: connecting older adults with benefits and services; reaching people who are underserved; home maintenance, chore, and home safety programs; and building age-friendly communities.
• Arts and Culture: Promote access to performing arts and fine arts programs for community enrichment.
• Environmental Awareness: Encourage the preservation, protection, and conservation of land, water, and wildlife.
• Cultural Heritage: Support Southbury’s tangible cultural heritage and town history.

Conservation Stewardship Program

The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) helps you build on your existing conservation efforts while strengthening your operation.

Whether you are looking to improve grazing conditions, increase crop resiliency, or develop wildlife habitat, we can custom design a CSP plan to help you meet those goals. We can help you identify natural resource problems in your operation and provide technical and financial assistance to solve those problems or attain higher stewardship levels in an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective manner.

How It Works

If you are already taking steps to improve the condition of the land, chances are, CSP can help you find new ways to meet your goals.

NRCS works one-on-one with producers to develop a conservation plan that outlines and enhances existing efforts, using new conservation practices or activities, based on management objectives for your operation. Producers implement practices and activities in their conservation plan that expands on the benefits of cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better wildlife habitat, all while improving their agricultural operations.

For example, if you have been planting a cover crop, you may decide to try an enhancement for a multi-species cover crop or implement a deep-rooted cover crop to break up soil compaction and further improve the health of your soil.

CSP offers annual payments for implementing these practices on your land and operating and maintaining existing conservation efforts. Want to take it a step further? CSP also offers bundles where you can select a suite of enhancements and receive a higher payment rate.

Benefits

CSP is for working lands and is the largest conservation program in the United States. Thousands of people voluntarily enroll in the program because it helps them enhance natural resources and improve their business operation.

CSP participants are seeing real results. Some of these benefits include:

• Enhanced resiliency to weather and market volatility
• Decreased need for agricultural inputs
• Improved wildlife habitat conditions

CSP Contracts

The program represents a genuine commitment to conservation – CSP contracts are for five years, with the opportunity to compete for a contract renewal if you successfully fulfill the initial contract and agree to achieve additional conservation objectives. An NRCS conservation planner will work closely with you, throughout the entire contract process.

Contract payments are based on two components:

• Payments to maintain the existing level of conservation, based on the land uses included in the contract and an NRCS assessment of existing stewardship at the time of enrollment, and
• Payments to implement additional conservation activities.

NRCS may provide a minimum annual payment of $1,500 in any year the Chief determines the total contract payment amount is below a base level.

Connecticut Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA)

NRCS administers the conservation provisions while Agricultural Marketing Service and Risk Management Agency implement the production diversification and marketing provisions.

How It Works

Producers may construct or improve water management structures or irrigation structures; plant trees for windbreaks or to improve water quality; and mitigate risk through production diversification or resource conservation practices, including soil erosion control, integrated pest management, or transition to organic farming.

AMA is available in 16 states where participation in the Federal Crop Insurance Program is historically low: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Program At A Glance

• AMA provides financial assistance up to 75 percent of the cost of installing conservation practices.
• Total AMA payments shall not exceed $50,000 per participant for any fiscal year.
• Participants are not subject to Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985.
• Participants are subject to Adjusted Gross Income provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985.
• AMA offers an additional higher cost-share for historically underserved producers.